Go 4 THE HAMILTON SPECTATOR

FRIDAY, JUNE 11, 2010 thespec.com

LOCAL PEOPLE Dan Kislenko, gopeople@thespec.com

GARY YOKOYAMA, THE HAMILTON SPECTATOR

Long ago, it was Suzies diner, now its the White Elephant.
Hollie Pocsai, left, and Jane LaBatte sell vintage stuff from
the 50s and 60s at their James Street North store.

New life,
vintage stock
on James St. N.
PAUL WILSONS
STREETBEAT
This was Susies place, a skinny
Attention Pesto Lovers: Full Trays of Basil Only $30 (18 Pots Per Tray) periwinkle-tiled diner on James
North that had been closed for
ANNUAL DEPARTMENT decades.
12 SHADE IMPATIEN Shizue (Susie) Toyosaki was
HANGING BASKETS there all that time, sitting in the
Choose from all your favourite back, beyond the booths and long
colours of these full baskets.
Sale... counter, watching the street go by. store.
Husband Tom died 25 years ago
$ 1999 and Susie stayed on, watering her
plants in the front window, feed-
Reg. $34.99 ..........SAVE $15.00
ing her pigeons out on the side-
ALL HYBRID ALL COLEUS - 4 POT
Reg. $3.19.............................SALE $2.29
walk. She had no children.
Last Thanksgiving, people on
TEA ROSES MAGNOLIAS ROSEMARY - 6 POT
Reg. $7.99.............................SALE $4.49
the street realized they hadnt
James Street North, Hollie says.
Everyone shares the same vision
down here.
They located just south of Can-
non, beside the Mixed Media art
shop.
And now they have moved right
across the street into Susies place.
Its only 12 feet wide, but its deep,
so theres triple the space.
Neither woman has surrendered
her day job yet. Hollie is a digital
asset co-ordinator with Astral
Media in Toronto. Shes at the
store each day from 11 a.m. to 2
p.m., then charges off to the GO
bus for a three to 11 shift.
Jane is a travel counsellor at
Tourism Hamilton from 8:30 a.m.
to 2 p.m., then jogs up James to the
It will be open late tonight for
Art Crawl, with a Hootenanny fea-
turing Fiddling Katie and Stoney.
Somebodys bound to ask about
one item on the floor, a large
brown-leather suitcase.
Its not for sale. The tag tells the

20 40 % %
seen Susie for a while. The police story. That weathered piece of
NURSERY DEPARTMENT found her inside. Her ashes were luggage belonged to Susie.
On Sale This W
Week... ALL 1 GALLON sent home to Japan. In the space across the street va-
OFF OFF RHODODENDRONS Tonight, being the second Friday cated by White Elephant, Jeremiah
of the month, is the James North Boyter has a soft opening tonight.
Reg. $24.99...SALE $19.99 This Week...
Art Crawl. The street will be
$ 99 8 packed.
He had a shop in Montreal, but is
coming home. His place features
And tonight, life returns to mid-century modern design,
Reg. $16.99
Susies, with the official opening that sleek Scandinavian and
ALL HONEYSUCKLE VINES of the new quar- Canadian teak
This Week...............30% OFF ters of the White popular in 50s.
Elephant. On the same
We hope We knew it had to be on block, crews are
Susie would like now working on
what weve James Street North. the restoration
PERENNIAL DEPARTMENT done, says Jane of the former
SELECTED PERENNIALS LaBatte. She
Everyone shares the Dominion Fur-
7 POTS
Choose from Lavender, Russian Sage,
and friend Hol- same vision down here. niture building.
Gaura and more. lie Pocsai run One of the in-
This Week... this shop. It is vestors in that
Hollie Pocsai
50% OFF
Reg. $12.99.......SAVE $6.49
not a diner. It is
a place where
you can find all
big project is
Tim Potocic.
Were totally
HOSTA ELVIS LIVES - 6 POT things vintage. committed to
Excellent specimen plant A globe bank seeing that the
Special Price...............$9.99 from the 1930s. A biscuit tin from momentum on James North does-

SUNFLOWERS HOSTA OUTDOOR CARE old London. A Centennial flag. nt die, he says.
PRAYING HANDS FREE CARPETS WATER DEPARTMENT
Kathie Winkle dishes. Plus hand- Thirteen years ago, he and part-
6 POT Ideal for your porch, pool, AQUA SCAPE
made jewellery, scarves, bags, and ner Mark Milne owners of Sonic
Beautiful Accent Plant! patio and deck. Fabulous new Pigott-building wallets. And now, Unyon Records made their first
This Week... HIGH QUALITY FISH FOOD
Sale... patterns and sizes vintage clothing too. purchase in the neighbourhood,

$ 49
4
This Week...

$ 98
9
Jane, 27, and Hollie, 26, met in the building on Wilson Street that
Zero Maintenance
Does not absorb water 30% OFF
Grade 9 math class at St. Marys.
Fractions werent their strong
suit, but they aced on stage. To-
housed Sam Manson sports.
They got it cheap, made it work.
Now it houses a recording studio,
6 Pots Reg. $7.99 Reg. $14.99 WATER HYACINTH
Reg. $4.99.......SALE $2.99 gether they directed a high school art studio, film company, clothing
Harpers Greenest Deal of the Week! BUTTERFLY FLOWER
Now....................50% OFF
play that brought home a prize at
the Sears Drama Festival.
designer.
And early this year they and a
So they knew they could work couple of other partners bought
ASTILBE - 2 GAL POTS YARD DEPARTMENT
together. They also knew they
were both collectors out of con-
Susies building. They paid just
$122,000, but it was in rough
Great Shade Perennial! trol, going to flea markets every- shape. Theyre now turning the
ROCKERY STONE,
This Week... WATERFALL STONE,
where. floor above White Elephant into a
Maybe, they decided, we could live-work space.
$
12 98 GUILLOTINE EDGING STONE
& GUILLOTINE WALLSTONE sell this stuff on the Web. Fortu- They are sorry Susies could not
This Week... nately, Hollies husband is a skilled be a diner again. There would have

17
graphic designer. They pay him in been just too much work and
Reg. $24.98 old comics. money required.
/LB. On day one they were shocked to But theyre happy about the My
SAVE $12.00 .15/LB OVER 1000 LBS
sell 45 items, china owls and other Dog Joe cafe, opening just up the
GARDEN GOLD COMPOST SOIL
Perfect for all your gardens! 60s treasures. That night they street this summer.
ft!
Great Fathers Day Gi Reg. $49.99/yd...SALE $39.99/yd had to run around to the liquor Patrons there will enjoy the
stores for shipping boxes. That comfort of genuine-Naugahyde
was the fall of 2007. booths imported directly from
www.harpersgardencentre.com A year later they added a store to Susies shrine.
Visit our Website for Monthly Gardening Tips & Ideas. the mix. The Web is fine, Jane says,
but its a lot more rewarding to be StreetBeat appears Monday,
R001719855

1039 Wilson St. E., Ancaster able to display things and actually Wednesday and Friday
905-648-2157, 905-528-6673 meet the customers. pwilson@thespec.com
OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK - Mon-Fri 9am-8pm, Sat & Sun 9am-6pm Sale Prices in effect JUNE 10 TO JUNE 16, while supplies last. And we knew it had to be on 905-526-3241
C M Y